Loveland family of Donald Decker looks for closure

Four years ago today, a healthy Donald Decker died mysteriously

By Pamela Dickman Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
07/04/2012 12:46:59 AM MDT

Loveland resident Phil Decker displays medals and trophies his son Donald earned in his short lifetime. Four years after Donald Decker s death, officials have issued a $2,500 reward for information that helps solve the mystery surrounding the suspicious death of Donald Decker. Tips may be called in to Crime Stoppers, 221-6868, or Sgt. John Feyen, 498-5178.

A portrait of Donald Decker that was taken before his death.

A 22-year-old gifted athlete, Donald Decker went to North Lake Park with friends to celebrate July 4, 2008, separated from them, and was found dead just over 24 hours later.

His death, initially, was ruled accidental.

But now, four years later, investigators are looking for new leads into what they now say is a suspicious death. His body was exhumed a year ago at the persistence of his family, and while officials will not say what they found, the records have been amended from accidental to undetermined.

"We have all this physical evidence," said Larimer County Sheriff's Investigator John Feyen. "It's one of those cases where we need the story. Somebody out there knows the story."

And he along with Decker's family are hoping that, with the passage of time, whoever knows the story will fill in the blanks.

"We just want somebody to come forward," said Jennifer Decker, Donald's sister. "It's not just for us to have peace, it's for Donald, for his friends, everyone who knew him."

His mom, Debra Decker, added, "A precious young life is gone forever. We're just trying to be Donald's voice to know what happened and to bring whoever did this to justice."

"He had a natural gift."

At age 10, Donald Decker was a world champion wrestler.

In ninth grade, he was an ambassador for the United States to Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Italy for wrestling.

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During his four years at Loveland High, he helped the Indians to a state football championship and had state wrestling titles under his belt.

"He just had a natural gift," said his mom. "It was natural for him. It came easy."

Donald's parents still have more than 500 medals and trophies their son earned during his short life. They have a scrapbook of his accomplishments and an overstuffed shoebox filled with letters from universities and colleges recruiting Donald.

But the humble young man -- described as kind, generous, trusting and popular -- took a detour on that future and ended up dead in a Loveland home.

His parents say two emotional blows led Donald to take a hiatus from school after graduating from Loveland High in 2004.

His older brother, Phil, was killed in a car accident in 2000 at just 19. He was a mentor who always planned to cheer his brother through a successful sports career.

Although his brother's death was traumatic, Donald was still planning to attend a junior college to play football, selecting a small school over larger universities because he wanted to be on the field as much as possible instead of the bench.

As he was making plans for that future, one of his best friends, a fellow area wrestler named Johnny Olivas, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2004.

That sent the young man that news articles had deemed "destined for success" reeling. He chose not to go to school, worked on oil rigs for a while and had recently started working out again with his sights set on college and college football in the fall.

From magic to mystery

Decker's family describes his athletic talent as almost magical. He had a natural ability in wrestling, weightlifting, football, any sport he tried. He loved the competition and he loved coaching little children.

"We thought this would be a time that we were watching Don in the NFL," said his mom.

A framed photo shows one of the wrestling tournaments won by Donald Decker.

"Or having a family," interjected his sister, Jennifer. "Even if he'd gone to school and become a coach."

But instead his magical ability was cut short with his life, leaving instead as many unanswered questions as trophies that he earned in the ring and on the field.

Donald and friends went to North Lake Park on July 4, 2008, a Friday night. He was called away by another group, and his close friends and family never again saw him alive.

"He ended up with people who weren't his friends," said his sister, Jennifer.

The family, like investigators, have heard what his mom describes as a "mind-boggling" amount of rumors about what happened between that Friday night and early Sunday morning when two residents called 911 and said Donald was dead in their home.

Investigators have spoken to those residents and many others, but still do not have the answers they need to say, definitively, what happened to Donald Decker.

Feyen believes there are other people who were with Donald or who know what happened that have not come forward and spoken to authorities. He urges them to do so now, and a $2,500 reward has been offered for tips that lead to an arrest. (Those with information can call Feyen at 498-5178 or call Crime Stoppers at 221-6868.)

Donald was found dead in a home in north Loveland early morning July 6, 2008.

In the following days, officials said they had to send tissue samples to a laboratory for testing to determine the cause of death.

"He did have trauma to his body, but it was nothing that would have caused his death," said Feyen.

So what did? While investigators believe they know, they are not releasing that information. They need people to step forward and fill in the blanks with context.

At first, the Larimer County Coroner ruled his death an accident, and Donald was buried in his hometown of Loveland. But his family pushed for investigators to look further based upon his mom's medical knowledge and what they knew about their son and brother.

In 2011, his body was exhumed and a second autopsy conducted with new findings.

Investigators and family are hoping those findings will lead to answers and to justice for a young man who was well known and well loved.